What are the important events that happened on February 28? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

February 28: Facts & Myths About This Day

February 28 is the 59^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 306 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Friday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is February 15, 2025 – a Friday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 483,528 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘pentacontaenneagon’ day.

Pisces is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Amethyst is the modern birthstone for this month. Bloodstone is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 354 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,452 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

February 28 Historical Events

• 202 BC –
  coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place, initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty’s rule over China
• 870 –
  The Fourth Council of Constantinople closes.
• 1710 –
  In the Battle of Helsingborg, 14,000 Danish invaders under Jørgen Rantzau are decisively defeated by an equally sized Swedish force under Magnus Stenbock.
• 1844 –
  A gun on USS Princeton explodes while the boat is on a Potomac River cruise, killing eight people, including two United States Cabinet members.
• 1893 –
  The USS Indiana, the lead ship of her class and the first battleship in the United States Navy comparable to foreign battleships of the time, is launched.
• 1928 –
  C.V. Raman discovers Raman effect.
• 1954 –
  The first color television sets using the NTSC standard are offered for sale to the general public.
• 1959 –
  Discoverer 1, an American spy satellite that is the first object to achieve a polar orbit, is launched.
• 1972 –
  Sino-American relations: The United States and People’s Republic of China sign the Shanghai Communiqué.
• 1993 –
  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group’s leader David Koresh. Four BATF agents and five Davidians die in the initial raid, starting a 51-day standoff.

Who were born on February 28?

• 1865 –
  Wilfred Grenfell, medical missionary (d. 1940)
• 1882 –
  Pádraic Ó Conaire, Irish writer (d. 1928)
• 1931 –
  Dean Smith, American basketball coach
• 1943 –
  Barbara Acklin, American soul singer (d. 1998)
• 1946 –
  Robin Cook, British politician (d. 2005)
• 1955 –
  Gilbert Gottfried, American comedian
• 1958 –
  Ginette Harrison, British mountaineer (d. 1999)
• 1967 –
  Colin Cooper, English footballer
• 1971 –
  Peter Stebbings, Canadian actor
• 1980 –
  Tayshaun Prince, American basketball player

Who died on February 28?

• 1891 –
  George Hearst, American businessman and US Senator (b. 1820)
• 1916 –
  Henry James, American writer (b. 1843)
• 1932 –
  Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer (b. 1851)
• 1956 –
  Emile Buisson, French murderer (executed) (b. 1902)
• 1985 –
  David Byron, English singer (Uriah Heep) (b. 1947)
• 1993 –
  Ruby Keeler, Canadian actress and dancer (b. 1910)
• 2006 –
  Owen Chamberlain, American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1920)
• 2009 –
  Paul Harvey, American radio broadcaster (b. 1918)
• 2011 –
  Annie Girardot, French actress (b. 1931)
• 2011 –
  Peter Gomes, Harvard University Chaplain (b. 1942)